Seán Lemonnier (17 ) and Sam Rigley (16 ) took second place in the Silver Fleet — a major result at one of the world’s most competitive multihull regattas. Held in Noordwijk from July 7 to 11, the championship brought together 96 of the world’s top Formula 18 catamarans.
After a week of unpredictable weather and tough racing, the Galway duo delivered a standout performance in Friday’s Silver Fleet finals — placing sixth, fourth, first, and fifth in the day’s four races to secure a podium finish.
“By Friday we knew we had done well but still couldn’t believe it when we came ashore and saw the results and realised we might win a medal,” the pair said. “It was a tense few hours while the jury heard appeals, but our results didn’t change — and at the medal ceremony that evening we took second place in Silver Fleet.”
The week began with technical checks, followed by challenging conditions. Monday’s racing was cancelled due to high winds and heavy swell. On Tuesday, a difficult beach launch led to several boats capsizing before the start. Lemonnier and Rigley reached the start line but chose to retire after a capsize of their own to protect their boat for the rest of the week.
Wednesday’s races were abandoned due to light wind and strong currents. On Thursday, they returned to the water for four qualification races, earning them a spot in the Silver Fleet for the final races. After a strong final day of sailing, they finished second in Silver Fleet.
Their form on Friday was exceptional. Across five hours of racing in lighter breeze, the Galway teenagers showed tactical precision, speed, and resilience — climbing the Silver Fleet leaderboard with four top finishes.
Despite being the youngest team at the event and relatively new to the F18 class, both sailors brought years of training from the 420 circuit. Their calm decision-making and racing instincts stood out in a field stacked with Olympic-level talent.
Their campaign was made possible through community support and sponsorship.
“We are hugely grateful to our families, friends, and everyone at Galway Bay Sailing Club who backed our GoFundMe, and to our sponsors Nacra, OceanR, and SaunaFiain.
“We couldn’t have done this without them.”
